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You're probably taking out your winterwear and preparing for the cold; you should be doing the same for your car. A fully winterized vehicle will keep you safe as the temperatures drop. Here is what you should do to get your car ready for the fall and winter.

Winterizing Your Vehicle Starts in the Fall

Fall isn’t quite as harsh on your car as winter is, but it is the greatest time to get it ready for the coming colder months. You don’t want to be caught mid snow trying fixing your car to survive the harsh weather. What should you be doing to get your car ready for the falling temperatures? Huff Oil Group brings you this handy guide to help you prepare for fall and winter in Fayetteville.

9 Things You Should Do to Prepare Your Car for the Cold

Refill fluids: Plenty of fluids make your car safe to function. You should check that there’s enough of them. Monitor your antifreeze levels to ensure there's enough to regulate your engine’s temperature. Antifreeze shouldn’t be replaced by water, especially during the winter. Water can freeze up and antifreeze won’t. Use AMSOIL’s Passenger Car & Light Truck Antifreeze & Coolant if you need to flush out and refill it. You should also check your windshield wiper fluid, transmission fluid, and power steering fluid.

Change your oil: Spring and fall are the best seasons to get a synthetic oil change. Oil gets thicker with colder temperatures. Thick oil takes longer to flow once you turn on the engine. A thinner oil is what you need to keep your engine protected at all times during the winter. You’re supposed to switch to a more winter friendly and thinner oil when the temperatures are low. However, if you switch to synthetic, you can keep your same oil year round, and that’s only one of the many benefits of using synthetic oil. Call Huff Oil Group at (910) 988-9328 to get your AMSOIL Synthetic Oil and ask David Huff for his recommendations. You can also visit their online store to purchase your supplies, their Signature Series 0W-20 Synthetic Motor Oil is an excellent option for this fall.

Take care of your tires: Autumn is a great time to check for tread wear on your tires. Remember that worn tires don’t have a good grip on the road, even more so if the roads are icy or covered with wet leaves. If your tires are looking old, it’s time to replace them. Consider getting a set of all-season tires or snow tires if you know you’re going to be dealing with a lot of snow. If your tires are still in good shape, you just need to make sure they have the right amount of air pressure. Don’t forget about the spare!

Fix all the scratches: If you’ve been waiting all year to fix the scratches in your car, autumn is the perfect time to do it. Blemishes make your car look worn and old, and they can only get worse during winter. The cold rain, sleet, ice, and snow can rust and corrode those scratches.

Test out the heater: You probably haven’t been using your heater in the last couple of months, you need to try it out to see if it’s fully functioning. It would be awful if you decided to turn on your heater or defroster only to find out they are not working.

Get new mats: Have you considered floor mats as part of prepping your car for the cold? Floor mats protect your vehicle from water, snow, mud, muck, and other messy things that you drag in with your shoes. If your fabric mats are left wet, your car will develop a nasty smell. Consider investing in all-weather floor mats.

Change the wiper blades: You’re supposed to replace your wiper blades twice a year, in the spring and the fall. Old and cracking rubber won’t do anything but smear snow and ice when you try to clean your window. Replacing your wiper blades is cheap and easy. It could save you from an accident.

Give it a wax: Road salt is necessary to keep the road safe. Unfortunately, as useful as that salt may be, it doesn’t do any favors to your car’s exterior. You need to give your vehicle a good coat of wax, especially around the lower parts that are closer to the ground. Pay close attention to the front grill, quarter panels, and behind the wheels.

Prepare an emergency kit: There’s always a certain risk of ending up stranded on the road, be it because of an overheated engine, a flat tire, or another kind of incident. Winter roads are slippery and the risk of an accident it higher, which is why you should carry an emergency kit in your trunk. You should have jumper cables, flares, a flashlight and spare batteries, a toolkit, and a blanket. You can also include a small shovel and a container of sand, as well extra fuel and motor oil.

Find Everything You Need for Your Vehicle’s Lubrication Needs in Fayetteville This Fall

The trick to increasing your car’s longevity and staying safe throughout the whole year is providing it with proper maintenance. Part of that maintenance should include an AMSOIL Synthetic Oil change. You can get all your supplies to replace your oil or replenish any of your vehicle’s essential fluids at AMSOIL’sonline store. You can also call David Huff from Huff Oil Group at (910) 988-9328 and get some personal recommendations. While you’re at it, don’t forget to ask him about becoming an AMSOIL dealer so you can make some extra money this winter.